Description: Although lacquer is used in many Asian cultures, the art of carving lacquer is unique to China. In this technique, multiple layers (as many as 200) are applied onto a substructure in the shape of a box or some other container and individually dried and carved to create lush geometric motifs, lively representations of figures in landscapes, or birds flying among flowers. This exhibition, which celebrates the Met's collection, showcases approximately 50 examples of this art form. It features several newly acquired works, as well as an important recently restored 18th-century screen that is displayed for the first time.

Venue Description: Accommodates some of the greatest cultural treasures in the world, representing every category of art from just about every country from every time period from the Stone Age to the present. It houses the finest American art in the world, as well as an impressive collection of European, Greco-Roman, and Ancient Egyptian art. The Egyptian Art gallery includes a whole temple that was shipped to America as a gift. Going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is (at least) a full-day affair, and an essential part of any trip to New York. The Cloisters

A branch of the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cloisters are devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. The building itself is built with actual chapels, cloisters and other pieces of Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Inside, one can see sculpture, tapestries, magnificent stained-glass windows, and more. The most-renowned treasures include the Book of Hours by Jeanne d'Evreux, the Bury St. Edmonds cross, the Chalice of Antioch, and the Unicorn Tapestries. The Cloisters are situated on the beautiful rolling grounds of Fort Tryon Park, which has magnificent views of the Palisades.

Fridays and Saturdays 9:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays?Thursdays 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Met Holiday Mondays in the Main Building: May 26, and September 1, 2008, sponsored by Bloomberg 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. All other Mondays closed; Jan. 1, Thanksgiving, and Dec. 25 closed Recommended Admission (Includes Main Building and The Cloisters on the Same Day)

Adults $20.00, seniors (65 and over) $15.00, students $10.00 Members and children under 12 accompanied by adult free Advance tickets available at www.TicketWeb.com or 1-800-965-4827. For More Information (212) 535-7710; www.metmuseum.org No extra charge for any exhibition.

Upcoming Events at Metropolitan Museum of Art:

• Sounding the Pacific: Musical Instruments of Oceania - 11/17/09 - 09/07/10
  
• Epic India: Scenes from the Ramayana - 03/31/10 - 09/27/10
  
• Vienna Circa 1780: An Imperial Silver Service Rediscovered - 04/13/10 - 11/07/10
  
• Doug + Mike Starn on the Roof: Big Bambu - 04/27/10 - 10/31/10
  
• Hipsters, Hustlers, and Handball Players: Leon Levinstein's New York Photographs, 1950–1980 - 06/08/10 - 10/17/10
  
• Between Here and There: Passages in Contemporary Photography - 07/02/10 - 02/13/11
  
• The Yuan Revolution: Art and Dynastic Change - 08/21/10 - 01/09/11